After what seems an interminably long time Gordan Ramsay Steak has finally opened in Vancouver.
This will be my second visit to Gordon Ramsay (henceforth referred to as GR) Steak, my first being many years ago at the Paris, Las Vegas location.
It was excellent then. Here’s hoping it will be excellent again.
The restaurant isn’t particularly busy tonight as it is a Tuesday, and right after a snowfall. That of course means traffic mayhem in Vancouver. Weather aside, we discovered they are slowly ramping up operations as they head towards the Grand opening in a couple weeks.
First impressions? It’s a nice space, even though it technically is a section of the lobby of the hotel.
One thing we noticed, being in a direct line from the front door of the hotel, was the occasional draft of very cold air. It is unusually cold in Vancouver today, this wouldn’t be an issue on a warmer day.
One note that’s not as positive, the chairs are not the most comfortable. The angle of the seat feels almost sloped down a bit. As the meal went on though it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. They are also extremely heavy whick makes them a bit difficult to move should you need to get up.
Overall the space is well appointed and a pleasant place to relax and enjoy.
But we are here for the food, not the chairs.
Staring with a Notes from Gordon cocktail.
It comes with a quote from Mr Ramsay. Mine read “if that lamb was any more undercooked it would follow you home.”
The drink is a fancy Gin and Tonic. London dry gin, lime, green tea, Mastika and elderflower tonic.
It was very nice. The Mastika enhances the juniper flavours and the lime adds the citrus I like in a gin. Which is complemented by the subtle sweetness of the elderflower tonic. Overall a well balanced cocktail.
Merilynn went with The Obligatory Vodka Drink, which I guess says something about how GR feels about that particular libation.
It had various notes of citrus, but the balance that my drink had wasn’t in hers. Too much on one end of the flavour spectrum for me.
Thinly sliced tuna served raw with crispy rice pearls, Aji Amarillo, crispy Nori and Creme Fraiche.
Really wonderful textures and flavours going on here. Very tender tuna with crunch from the crispy rice and seaweed, complmented by a little heat and tang from the Creme Fraiche. Spoiler alert, this was the best dish of the night.
Merilynn went with the Crab cake, a favourite of hers.
Apparently it’s better than mine, though I guess that’s not surprising. GR does have 17 Michelin stars more than I.
The biggest thing I noticed was the amount of crab versus mine. Yet still being very moist. I add corn and peppers and this just seemed to be straight crab. It really was a delicious crab cake. One of the best I’ve tasted.
John had the Shrimp Cocktail.
The photo does not do justice to those shrimp.
Some of the largest shrimp I’ve ever seen. I didn’t try one but both Merilynn and John said they were a bit chewy.
As Merilynn has never had it we decided to have the Beef Wellington for our main. It is one of his signature dishes after all.
At Gordon Ramsay Steak Vancouver it is a portion for two and it’s bloody huge. Better be for $150.
It’s a lot of food, twice as much as we need.. But look at how well that’s cooked. And other than maybe the Japanese A5 Wagyu I’ve had that is one of the most tender cuts of beef I’ve ever had the pleasure to eat.
I even enjoyed the Duxelles, and I normally hate mushrooms. A red wine demi on the side, which was very beefy, added a beautiful touch.
We paired a Burrowing Owl Syrah with dinner, full bodied with notes of vanilla and berries.
Let’s finish things off with dessert.
And in a GR restaurant you know what we are having.
Apparently it’s the only dish that’s served in every one of his 91 restaurants.
If you have never tried it, it’s a must. Fair warning. It’s very sweet. But unlike some sticky toffee puddings it very light. The caramel is delicious and goes oh so well with the ice cream
But let’s not stop there. They have a chocolate torte.
I’m a sucker for chocolate. Especially really good chocolate. Which I would expect here.
And it did not disappoint.
First off that’s a lovely presentation.
GR’s version of a chocolate torte is pudding like in consistency. It’s very rich. Almost too rich. It’s actually too big in my opinion. Quite difficult for me to finish.
Which was left to me as the other two aren’t fans of dessert.
But I persevered. I powered through. I ate every last bite.
Did I suffer later that evening?
I sure did.
But it was worth it.
In fact, the whole evening was worth it. Yes on the pricey side. When it come to food though, when has that ever stopped me?
The ambiance is pleasant. The cocktails are very good. The food was excellent. The service was very attentive.
As for the highlight of the night, the Hamachi stole the show for me. Everything I look for in a dish in a high end restaurant.
Gordon Ramsay Steak is definitely worth considering for your next evening out.
9/10